What are the main differences between Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches?

Answer 1

The main difference between these churches is that only one was started by Christ: the Roman Catholic church. The Orthodox was the first to break away from the Catholic Church, and then later on in the 1500s with the Reformation, Luther broke away and from there on Christianity has splintered into 30,000 different denominations.

Central to Catholicism is the Eucharist, which is the breaking of the bread at every worship (or mass), and the belief that the bread becomes in Jesus' word His body.

Answer 2

To put this in historical perspective, I will follow from the early Church onward.

First, Catholics, Copts and Orthodox are a single church but in partial schism. The schism is not completely healed so they are not fully in communion with one another, but the divide is fairly small. It is the emotional divide which is more important than the theological divide. They are not separate denominations. There is a false belief that Catholicism began after Constantine, but that is evidence of having never read a single source document from the early Church. It is preposterous, but that doesn't stop it from being retold.

Catholics have broad wings to the Church the Eastern and the Western. People commonly called Roman Catholics are part of the western Church. Note the east/west is an ancient designation and you might also see oriental and occidental in lieu of east/west. Western Christianity nearly fell apart when the Roman empire fell. Learning collapsed and society became lawless. In the West the Church was the only cross border organization in existence. It is a very sober Christianity. Its services primarily come from the services left by Peter, but Western Catholicism includes the Mozarabic rites and the Ambrosian and Italo-Greek rites. Further, before Napolean brought it to an end, it also included the Gallican rites and until Anglicans separated, the Anglican Church was heading toward their own rites. Because Western Catholicism lacks uniformity of services around its patriarch, the Papa of Rome (the Pope in modern English), Protestantism is highly diverse. Had Protestantism had its doctrines invented in the East, it is likely they would have been very uniform in worship.

The other wing of the Catholic Church is the Eastern Church. It is very diverse and made up of 22 particular independent Churches. These include Copts and Ge'ez, Malabaran and Malankaran, Chaldean, Armenian, Antiochean (including the Maronites and Melkites), Greek and Slavic Churches. Generally, each of these church can trace their beginnings to a particular apostle or in the case of the Slavic Churches Kyril and Methodius. The Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic Church are essentially the same Church, but the Orthodox are not in union with Rome.

Because of this extraordinary diversity it is very difficult to describe the Catholic Church. The word Catholic means "all embracing" or "according to the whole." As such, you embrace people where they are at which can be very diverse. You can be a tribesman in a primitive society or a New York neurosurgeon and take communion together. You do not have to share a world view.

Protestant Churches on the other hand operate on a different principle. They believe that if you disagree with someone's view of things, then you leave and start a new Church. As such, there are now 46,000 Protestant denominations and they are growing constantly. Protestants have been handicapped by a couple of early decisions by reformers. One was scripture alone as the standard of truth. At no point in the history of the Church would that have even been considered the standard. By doing that, Protestant Churches end up ignoring all the other things handed on by the apostles such as services, art (Luke painted), stories, songs, practices and beliefs.

This meant that moving the bible from being a document of prayer, wisdom, teaching and understanding to a proof text where you can prove anything if you just arrange the passages correctly. It has limited the ability of the Protestant Churches to learn because by eliminating all but scripture, there is no longer any observing of the action of God in the World since the early Church. Neither the good nor the bad can be learned from. So instead of learning, it divides.

Catholics, Orthodox and Copts preserve the teachings of the apostles as they were originally handed on, and this includes scripture. If you attended a Roman Catholic service every Sunday for three years, and the holy days, you would hear the entire bible minus a few parallel passages and a few census descriptions. So, if you were sixty years old, you would have read the equivalent of the entire bible 20 times. In addition, all the early prayer forms are in place and the other teachings as well.

Protestants tend to start with a message and find passages to support it, although since the 1960's when most Protestants adopted the Catholic order of readings, there has been a significant increase in the amount of scripture read during Protestant services. Protestants, being a diverse lot, vary greatly in this. Anglicans and Lutherans had always preserved scripture in the service, Baptists still often don't read the entire bible or read it systematically.

Positively, Protestants correctly emphasize our sheer neediness in the face of God and the sheer importance of faith and trust in God. Further, Protestants emphasize the use of Reason in ways Catholics do not. Protestantism is a reasoned religion. It was thought out. Catholicism and Orthodoxy were not. They just propogate what the apostles handed on. So thinking is more important in Protestantism leading to some very positive things such as modern biblical scholarship.

Also positively, Protestantism values the individual more. Christianity was originally a communal religion because society was communal. Many modern ideas would not exist without this concept of the individual.

Answer 3

The Catholics have countless creeds, the effect of ecumenical councils, that are no longer customary by potential of something of Christianity. They divided from the Greek Orthodox church over a war of words appropriate to the doctrine or creed of the Trinity. Protestants declare that the Catholic church has strayed from the scriptures, and seek for its reformation. Mormons have faith that the two are too far long previous to be reformed, that a restore direct from heaven develop into the only thank you to deliver back the organic and helpful doctrines of Christianity that have been lost.

Answer 4

I can not believe some of what you guys are saying! I think that the catholic church is wrong in so many ways, they believe that you get to Heaven by doing good works, and being a good person!!! That is so wrong! The one and ONLY way to get to heaven is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of your sins! First of all being saved is nothing we do it is all of grace and love of the Lord! The Bible clearly says in Ephesians 2: 8-9 For it is by GRACE that you have been saved, through faith and this not from YOURSELVES, it is a gift of God, NOT BY WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST!!!!!! This verse is a verse that goes completly against what the Catholic church believes!! I guess that the Catholic chruch just wants to ignore the word of God!! I can say these things becuase I was a Catholic for 12 years until the Lord was PLEASED to open my eyes to the truth and save me by his grace! I am now out of the Catholic church and go to an awesome church that is fully set on the truth and it's teachings! JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY THE ONLY TRUTH AND THE ONLY LIFE!!!!!!!

Answer 5

I wonder! I could see some posted here Christ started Roman Catholic Church.

Roman catholic church was found by the Roman emperor Constantine. He declared Christianity as his official religion. All his officers, army and people converted to Christianity without Christ in them.
Later they followed their old pagans in the name of saints. Still its going on in catholics. Prayer to so called Virgin Mary and so many saints. Keeping idol in the worship place and praying to them.

Orthodox church came into being by the rebels in the Roman catholic church. Claims between Antioch and Rome. Catholics claims that Rome was the Throne of st. Peter and orthodox claims it as Antioch.

Protestant church do not claim both of this. They oppose the idol worship, the authority of Pope, prayer to so called Virgin Mary and to saints,

Some denominations in the Protestant Church do have the similarity of the church started by the Apostles of Christ. They worship in Truth and Spirit as Jesus Christ said.

Answer 6

Orthodox and Catholic are much more strict than Protestant..

Answer 7

The words on the sign. It makes no difference were you worship God as long as you get with the Lords way.

Answer 8

Dolly, where's your answer?

.... Protestant are very anti- catholic. they love all their worshippers to be professional so as to contribute more to church pastor.the more worshippers the better for he pastor.

Answer 9

they are all the same.. they teach confusing God to their followers..trinity..is the most confusing God to understand...

Answer 10

they do not have differences, they both not in the bible.